We show up By:
- Going where parenting adolescents are and building personal, trusting relationships.
- Providing fun, adventurous, and life-changing experiences.
- Partnering with like-minded adults, volunteers, mentors, donors, and staff to create a community of support.
Our Vision
As a division of Young Life, YoungLives believes every teen parent deserves the right to hear the good news of God's love. We'll walk alongside the thousands of teen parents longing to know the God who'll shape their families with courage and love.
With God’s help, we will: Know Jesus. Know teen parents. Make him known ... together.
Our Impact
YoungLives is present in 33 countries and counting, walking alongside teen parents with a globally adaptable model grounded in three priorities: proactive relationships, practical support, and purposeful hope.
We want to expand and know more of the 770,000 girls under the age of 15 that give birth each year in developing regions.
Our Numbers
in over
33
countries
10,050
Teen Parents attending Club
6,304
Teen Parents attending Camp
2,551
Volunteer Leaders
5,452
Teen Parents attending Campaigners
445
Number of YoungLives Ministries
348
Childcare Volunteers
Our Model
CONTACT WORK
Mentors go to where teen parents are (i.e. schools, health centers, markets, or neighborhoods) to listen deeply, build trust, and understand their context and needs.
Club
Young families gather for laughter, storytelling, music, and meals. We share practical tools for parenting and life, offer tangible baby supplies, and reflect on the love of Jesus
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP
Mentors walk with adolescent parents through everyday moments and major life transitions. The goal: to be a consistent, loving presence.
Camp
Adventure looks different in each country, but the outcome is the same: teen parents are invited to rest, laugh, and be reminded they're not alone.
What we know about adolescent parents
- Adolescent pregnancy is closely linked to poverty, lack of education, and systemic inequality.
- Only about half of teen parents complete the highest level of secondary education available in their country.
- Adolescent mothers often raise children without long-term support from the child’s father, and few programs exist to engage or empower adolescent fathers.
WHAT WE SEE IN YOUNGLIVES
When young parents participate in YoungLives for two years or more:
- They grow in confidence, agency, and emotional resilience, believing their lives have purpose.
- In contexts where graduation is tracked, 72% complete school, and secondary education is significantly higher than national averages.
- They access jobs, education, and networks of care that shift generational outcomes.
In YoungLIves, Teen parents ARE WELCOMED INTO COMMUNITIES THAT SEE THEM AS WHOLE, WORTHY OF LOVE, LEADERSHIP, AND BELONGING.
WE WILL KNOW WE ARE SUCCEEDING WHEN:
- Teen parents are equipped not just to survive but to thrive.
- Stories of hope are being told in many languages.
- The global church becomes a kaleidoscope of teen families who are welcomed and sent.
Leadership
Vice President's Office
Karil Connor
Vice President of YoungLives
Erika Smith
YoungLives Operations Manager
Bili Dray
YoungLives Development Director
OPEN
Executive Admin
Meredith Emerick
YoungLives Camp Administrator
U.S. Divisions
Annie Bandolik
Midwestern Divisional Coordinator
April Jackson
Southeastern Divisional Coordinator
Ayesha Wilcox
Eastern Divisional Coordinator
Becca Eby
South Central Divisional Coordinator
Cassie Coats
Northwestern Divisional Coordinator
Lisa Malmin
Southwestern Divisional Coordinator
International Divisions
Annelie Uwimana
Scotland YoungLives Director
Catherine Odongo
Africa East Divisional Coordinator
Katie Farmer
Asia Pacific Divisional Coordinator
Iryna Utkina
Ukraine YoungLives Director
Linnet “Lindy” Gumbo
Africa South Divisional Coordinator
Matilda Kamara
Africa West Divisional Coordinator
Michele Suwyn
Latin America & Caribbean Divisional Coordinator
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS
Joan Eden, Chair
Katie Traverse, Co-Chair
Karil Connor, VP
Amanda Miller
Colleen McVaney
Heidi Rush
Kelly Jackson
Jenny Iott
Nancy Casey
Rebecca Smith-Jutton
